Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century

After ill-fated attempts to make money by buying and selling oil leases, Sinclair entered the refining business in 1906, acquiring several companies that were eventually consolidated into Sinclair Oil. Once the larger venture was created, Sinclair invested heavily in pipelines throughout the mid-west, building almost 900 miles of line in just two years. By 1929, Sinclair Oil refineries had a production capacity of 80,000 barrels a day, 12,000 acres of coal land, and many other holdings that made it a profitable oil conglomerate.